Method of and apparatus for soldering cable-bonding devices



ocr. 9, 192s. 1,687,378

A. Z. MAMPLE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SOLDERING CABLE BONDING DEVICES Filed June 8, 1927 ',Patented Qct. 9, 1.92.8.

UNITI-:nf "s'rivrss .enormi a NAMPLE, or GLEN Boex, Naw massif, AssIeNon To ran WESTERN' PATENT oFFic'l-:ig

'i UNION TELEGBPN COMPANY, oF NEW you, N. Y., A' conrona'rIoN or Naw YORK. z

METHOD OFFANDYAPPABATUS Noa-l soLDERING cABLafsoNDnG'imvIcns@ i A pplication leii J1in e'8,1927. Serial No. 197,454'.a l

This invention relates tothe bonding of metal coated cables, It-is commonv practicein the use of elec-- trical cables such as are covered' svith a metal sheath/to make permanent electrical connections' to the sheaths 4of suchcables.v Such connections are vused in aerial cable construction Vfor the purpose of electrically groundingdhe sheaths'of'the cables \and to v bond 'them to' thev 'supportingt messenger, 1 while in the case of underground 'cable con struction suchconnections are used t bond the sheaths of the cables together, wh never two or more are in juxtaposition, to elim-inate diierences of' potential between the` 5 cables and to make connection of electrol sis drainage wires as in'the4 case of mitigat-f ing electrolytic corrosion. These cables are' frequently bonded by strips of "coppenor other suitable conducting material soldered 20 to the cables so'tha't the shea-ths arerconnected electrically Aone to the other and since such cables are commonlysheatheds with lead or some similar metal havino' a low; fusible point capable ofbeing readily` bent, injury' is apt -to be done the sheathing by the soldering process. Forinst'ance, if the solderingiron comes in contact with the sheathing of such a cable the sheathing it"` self is apt to be;melted to such an extent that leaks'may be established allowing water 30 or moisture to find Aits`way into the interior of the cable to the great detriment ofthe insulation and the possible'groundingor short-circuiting of some ofthe conductors in the cable'. Even if the' soldering iron Adoes]` not vactually melt suilicient of the cable to at once establish a leak, theheat efect produced bythe hot iron contact with the cable in the usual methods `of solderin lis such as to cause a change in the crystal ine structure ofthe sheath or reduction in'thickness, so that bending or vibration' of the cable at such points is very aptto reducev cracks and consequent leaks in the s eath.

Theprincipal objects of the present invention `are to provide anovel method of 'securing bonds to cables wherein the bond is soldered to the cable under such conditions that the soldering iron is prevented from injurying the sheath by 'contact' therewith, and to provide a novel and impro'ved casing device for molding the applied' Belder into in the a ally claimed.v

'th solder proper shapeand for preventin contact 'of the soldering iron with the sheat y With the above and other objects in view as willgbe hereinafter apparent, the invention co`nsists in general of certain novel details of cbnstruction and combinations of parts hereinafter iully described, illustrated In` the i accompanying "drawings like vcharaicterdof reference indicate like vparts in .the severaly views, and: 7

Figure 1i is a perspective'view of'a mold constructed in `accordance with this inven ccompanying drawings and speciicg tion and for the lpurpose of carrying into effect, the improved method, a portion of a i cable and a rtion of a vbond strip being shown in bro en j lines. v

Figure 2 is alongitudinal sectional view throughthe casing showing the soldering operation being carried-into effect and par a -tially completed.

Figure 3 is a viewfsimilar to Figure 2 but illustrating the final step in the operation.

Figure 4 is a cross-section through the` casing Iand a ortion ofthe cable showing the bond positloned on the cable. f

Figure 5 is' an enlarged lon 'tudinali 'secf tion throughthe joint as comp eted and disclosing the manner in whiehothesolder s e,

.cures the bond and the 'casing to the cable.

'Figure 6 is a longitudinal section showing a ycasing having a 'closed top` wall and pre-cast therein'. f

4In lcarryin'gout the objects of this invention there is provided alsuitable casingfof sheet'metal preferably sheet cop r vor brass which is tinned, having incline end walls eef 10 and similar inclined sidewalls ll'which form an eloated box 'of truncated pyramiing a continuous inwardly the bond B may pass beneath the casi when the latterl is seate`d Von the table- The bottom walls are outwardly flanged xtendin inwardly from the top.- edge o each side wa 1 is -a flange 12,'for1.'

rojecting ripheral' ang'e atthe top of t ewalls'of the casing.Y Centrally of each-*side wall the cas' ing is notched `or cut away, as at 13, so that provide lateral supporting feet 14 andf elongated end supporting feet 15 which,

with the device in sition on the cable, rest on the surface of t e` sheath so that by passing wires temporarily around the cable and over the [feet the casing maybe held in position. lt is to be particularly noted that the proportions of thecasing and flanges 12 are such that there is provided inthe top of the box-like-casing a narrow elongated A' slot`16 of less VVrvvidththan the point of the iron having' previously been thoroughly heated, is placed with its point resting on one endflange 12 and overhanging the space between said flanges, as shown in Fig. 2. The operator then presses a stick of solder 18 against the upper side of the point of the iron, causing the, solder to melt and run oil1 of the point into'the casing until the casing is completely filled. Thel liquid solder g is chilled upon coming into contact with the relatively cold mass of the cable and bond so that the mere fill-in ofthe casing with the .solder will not proper y and safely eii'ect the attachment of the bond to the cable sheath.

Accordingly, when the casing has been iilled v the operator allows the soldering'iron to rest on top ofthe mass of solder in the casing as shown 1n Fig. 3, thereby conducting the heat ofA the iron through the mass of solder until it isy entirely reliquefied and'flows' be.-

neath the lower or foot` flanges of the casing thus forming a perfect union between the bond, the -cjasing j andthe sheath, the casing remaining-as ai permanent part of the joint being'integrallyV .united by the solder to the bond and the sheath.

In some'instances it is `preferably toiprovide the casings vwith the solder pre-cast in' positiomso that it will mrely be necessary to apply the soldering iron to the top of the casing to liquefy the solder and cause it to properly unite the .bond and the casing vto 'the sheath. -The casing may have an open top as shown in 1 to 5*-50r the top maybe closed as shownv in F ig. 6. In

-v leach of :these cases, howeverthe solder in the mold is'liqueed by` the heat of the soldering iron resting ontopof the mold, the

heat `being' conducted through the solder toI lthe'bond and sheath to form the union be-x tween the metals.

'I claim:

1. The method of soldering metalsv together without injury to the metals, which consists in positioning a heated soldering iron in spaced relation to' the contacting metal articles, melting solder by the heat of the/iron and 'directing the liquefied solder upon the metals at their point of contact, confining the melted solder until it forms a bridge between said metals and the iron, remelting said bridge of solder by'contact with the heated -iron and heating the metals by conduction vthrough --the solder to thereby vcausen union between the metals and the der to the iron, directing the liqueed solder v into .the casing and maintaining the solder in molten condition and conductively heating the metals from ,the heated soldering iron through the liquefied solder.

3. A casing for use. in soldering strips to metal sheathed cables, the casing forming an integralv part of the soldered joint, comprising a, body of tinned sheet metal having side and end walls providedat their upper edges withl an'inwardly extending peripheral` flange arranged to form a long narrow slot of less-Widthfthan the width of a standard soldering iron.

4. A casing for use in solderm bonding strips to metal sheathed cables, t e casing bondmg forming an'integral part of the soldered 'c joint, conprisin a body of .tinned sheet. metal having si e and end walls lprovided at their upper edges with an inwardly extending peripheral flange arranged Vto form a long narrow slot of less width than the width of a standard soldering iron, the lower.

edges of the sidewalls being notched to fit over a bonding strip. 1

5. A casing for use in soldering bonding strips to metal sheathed cables, ihe casing yforming an integral part. of the soldered joint, comprising a bod o; tinned sheet metal having side and end7 w lls provided at ,their upper edges with an inwardly extending peripheral flange. arranged to form a long narrow slot of less width than the width of a standard soldering iron,`and base flanges extending outwardly from the lower edges of theend walls.- h 6; A casing for use in soldering bonding strips to metal sheathed cables, the casing forming an integral part of the soldered joint, comprising a hollow tinned sheet mass of solder, the base 0f said' casing being v notched to lit over a bonding strip, said casing permitting the heat from a soldering metal casing forming a housing to confine a iron to be conducted through the mass of solder while maintaining the soldering iron spaced from the cable sheath. A In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

' ADCLPH Z. MAMPLE. 

